This document outlines the District of West Vancouver's climate change adaptation strategy planning process. By 2050, the region will experience hotter temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, higher sea levels, and more extreme weather. A risk assessment identified wildfires, windstorms, floods, and landslides as higher risks. The strategy will develop goals and actions to address priority climate impacts, integrate actions into operations, and regularly review the "living" plan. The District is following best practices from ICLEI Canada to build resilience through adaptation.
2. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
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BY 2050, IN METRO
VANCOUVER
1. Hotter average annual air
temperatures
2. Changing precipitation
3. Higher sea level
4. More frequent extreme
weather events
TYPES OF CLIMATIC CHANGES
>> Although these changes are
predicted to occur by 2050s,
some are already happening
3. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
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CLIMATE CHANGE
IN THE DISTRICT A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE (2014 – 2015)
DoritMason
• Record-setting summer
temperatures
• Windstorms
• Drought
• Forest fires
• Heavy rainfall events
• Limited snow
4. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
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CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS
• Personal health and safety
concerns
• Water systems affected
• Property and public
amenities damaged
• Recreation areas damaged
• Quality of life reduced
RESIDENTS
>> What we value is vulnerable to
a changing climate
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CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS
• Natural hazards more
challenging to manage
• Increased spending to
maintain public assets
• Staff priorities redirected to
deal with emergency
response
• Reduced capacity to
maintain current operations
THE DISTRICT
GordonMontgomery
>> Municipal services and public
infrastructure will be affected
by climate change
6. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
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CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS
Loss or reduction of:
• Native biodiversity
• Ecosystem services
• Foreshore areas
THE ENVIRONMENT
>> The environment is invaluable
and irreplaceable, and climate
change is a major threat
SeymourSalmonidSociety
7. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
WHAT CAN WE
DO ABOUT IT?
Two ways to address climate
change:
1. Mitigate: prevent future
climate change from
happening by reducing
GHG emissions
2. Adapt: become more
resilient by preparing and
responding to climate
change
MITIGATE AND ADAPT
DistrictofWestVancouver
>> To become resilient to climate
change, both mitigation and
adaptation are needed
8. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
ADAPTATION IS
NOT NEW
• Risk assessments for
natural hazards
• Natural hazard
management plans and
implementation strategies
• Hazard and environment
development permit areas
• Development standards for
buildings, infrastructure,
and utilities
• Long-term (40–50 years)
asset management
framework
ONGOING WORK AT THE DISTRICT
>> The District needs a strategy to
coordinate and integrate
actions and identify gaps
AndrewKolper,KerrWoodLeidal
9. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
AN OVERARCHING
STRATEGY
• Identifies policy and
program gaps and new
actions
• Supports and informs other
programs and plans
• Key to OCP
implementation
• Coordinates work
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY
>> The strategy will integrate
adaptation into District
programs and policies
10. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
GUIDED BY BEST
PRACTICES ICLEI CANADA PROGRAM
• National program focused
on community resilience
and adaptation
• Supports communities to
prepare for climate change
• Tools to help build internal
capacity
• A growing community
network
Municipalities using the
same program
ICLEICanada
>> The planning process will be
guided by a regional best
practice, tailored to the
District
‒ Vancouver
‒ City of North Van
‒ District of North Van
‒ Delta
‒ Surrey
‒ Metro Van
‒ Victoria
‒ Capital Regional
District
11. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
A FIVE-STEP
PROCESS
1. Initiate adaptation planning
2. Identify priority climate
change impacts
3. Create a Climate Change
Adaptation Strategy
4. Implement the strategy
5. Monitor progress and
review actions
BUILDING ADAPTIVE & RESILIENT
COMMUNITIES (BARC) PROGRAM
ICLEICanada
>> This is an iterative process—
the strategy will be updated as
new science becomes
available
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PROGRESS TO
DATE
• Built an interdepartmental
adaptation team
• Identified key stakeholders
• Reviewed current science
• Identified existing plans
and policies already
working towards adaptation
STEP 1: INITIATE ADAPTATION PLANNING
13. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
PROGRESS TO
DATE
• Research climate changes
• Identify climate change
impacts
• Conduct risk assessment
to prioritize impacts for
action planning
STEP 2: IDENTIFY PRIORITY
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
>> The risk assessment helps
prioritize climate change
impacts for action planning
Climate
Research
Impacts to
the District
Risk
Assessment
Priority
Climate
Change
Impacts
14. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
Longer and
drier summers
Wildfires
Invasive
organisms
Soil and
sediment
erosion
Overland
Floods
Landslides
and debris
flows
Urban
Floods
Coastal
floods and
erosion
Storm
surges
Heatwaves
Windstorms
Droughts
PRIORITY CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTS
• Consequence categories:
1. Public health & safety
2. Local economy & growth
3. Community & lifestyle
4. Environment &
sustainability
5. Public administration &
governance
>> Climate change outcomes can
be gradual long-term changes
and short intense events
RISK ASSESSMENT
15. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
Longer and
drier summers
Wildfires
Invasive
organisms
Soil and
sediment
erosion
Overland
Floods
Landslides
and debris
flows
Urban
Floods
Coastal
floods and
erosion
Storm
surges
Heatwaves
Windstorms
Droughts
PRIORITY CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTS RISK ASSESSMENT EXAMPLES
• Structural damage
• Displaced residents
• Reduced access to
recreational areas
• Psychosocial impacts
to staff
• Reduced air quality
• Injury as a result of
under-cutting
• Damage to park trails
• Decreased quality of
freshwater
ecosystems
• Water and salt
damage
• Reduced access to
coastal recreational
areas
• Loss of critical
foreshore habitat
• Injury
• Structural damage
• Damage to trees
• Delayed delivery of
important municipal
services
• Power outages
16. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
PRIORITY CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTS
• For each climate change
outcome, we assessed:
1. Likelihood
2. Consequence
• Risk = Likelihood x
Consequences
RISK ASSESSMENT
Likelihood
Rare (L1) More than 20 years
Unlikely (L2) Within 10-20 years
Possible (L3) Within 3-5 years
Likely (L4) Within 2 years
Almost Certain (L5) Within 1 year
Consequences
Public Health &
Safety
Local Economy
& Growth
Community &
Lifestyle
Environment &
Sustainability
Public
Administration
& Governance
Negligible (C1)
Minor (C2)
Moderate (C3)
Major (C4)
Catastrophic (C5)
17. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
PRIORITY CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTS
• Higher risk
─ Wildfires
─ Windstorms
─ Overland floods
─ Landslides and debris flows
─ Coastal floods, erosion, and
saltwater intrusion
• Lower risk
─ Droughts
─ Heatwaves
─ Invasive organisms
─ Soil and sediment erosion
─ Urban floods
─ Storm surges
─ Longer and drier summers
PRELIMINARY RISK ASSESSMENT
RESULTS
>> These results will help focus
action planning
18. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
WHAT’S NEXT?
• Develop actions and goals
to address priority climate
change impacts
• Develop actions specific to
our needs
• Integrate actions into
current operations and
day-to-day work plans
• Prepare for ongoing review
and refinement
STEP 3: CREATE A CLIMATE CHANGE
ADAPTATION STRATEGY
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>> The strategy will be
comprehensive, specific,
integrative, and a “living plan”
19. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Fall 2015
CLIMATE ACTION
• Actions must address all
aspects of the community
─ Social
─ Economic
─ Environment
• Strategic actions will be
successful
─ Win-win
─ Co-benefit
─ No-regret
ADAPTATION ACTIONS AND GOALS
>> What we value is vulnerable.
We must act now for a more
resilient future.
